A few days ago, I went to a huge estate sale. In the beginning, I was excited as my gaze fell on the myriad of items around me. There was a garage FULL of craft supplies, more than I could ever craft in a lifetime. There was a basement FULL of Christmas decorations, more than could ever fill my house. There was a dining room FULL of kitchen contraptions (many cool specialty items), more than I could use in years of cooking. It went on and on….

And then something struck me. Something was very odd. About half of the items were BRAND NEW, still in their packages. Half of everything was never used, never enjoyed, never lovingly cared for. An old woman that lived in this house had died, and her visible legacy was a mountain of STUFF! Useless items, bought by a shopaholic who didn’t know how to say “no”. Her neighbor told me that packages were continuously arriving in the mail to her house.

My excitement left me, and I began to feel depressed. The gorgeous teaspoons and forks and goblets and napkin rings suddenly were repulsive. Am I like that? Do I collect and collect STUFF that will never be used, never loved, and never worth anything? Am I materialistic? Could my love for decorating on a budget become an obsession?

I’m going to leave it all someday, and I pray that I’ll be remembered for my deep joy in Jesus Christ, and not a joy in possessions.

How sad…to live for this world and not to invest in the next! Thanks for this post. It’s definitely a good reminder to beware of materialism. Despite not having nearly the same amount of budget items you guys have in the US, there’s always something that we think we could use / need / want!
x
sandra